Chapter 46: Interlude

Xia Nan frowned, his dark eyes scanning the man before him, who appeared ill-intentioned and reeked of alcohol.

He knew clearly that under the influence of alcohol, certain areas of the human brain are affected, leading to radical and irrational behavior.

Although he had not been in this world for long and his own strength was not particularly formidable, he was prepared to deal with potential aggression from a stranger.

Subconsciously, he began to assess the combat power of both sides.

"Hmm... heavily intoxicated. There shouldn't be any possibility of disguise."

"Unsteady footing. Whether I choose to retreat for now or launch an attack, I can exploit this."

"Against a human enemy, a decapitating longsword is more suitable, but the blade length might make fighting at this current distance inconvenient. I need to create some space first."

"Judging by the opponent's build and attire..."

Meanwhile, Chapton watched the two people before him, who had fallen into an eerie silence, and a sense of foreboding gradually grew in his heart.

He recognized that drunken, semi-conscious man.

Bernie, the town's notorious drunkard.

Despite being a legitimate adventurer who survived on mission bounties, he spent almost every waking moment in the various taverns of Valley Town. Only occasionally, when he was truly penniless, would he tag along with his former squad for a few missions to earn some drinking money before slinking back to town.

And his drinking habits were terrible.

In the half year since he arrived in Valley Town, his own White Tit Tavern had already thrown the rowdy, drunken man out three times. It was only because Bernie was a decent person when sober that Chapton hadn't blacklisted him yet.

As for the black-haired youth on the other side...

Chapton suddenly noticed that the youth had slightly leaned forward, clearly assuming a combat stance, with his hand hovering near his waist as if ready to grasp a sword hilt at any moment.

"It's fine, it's fine."

Behind them, two middle-aged men dressed as adventurers hurried forward.

They grabbed the reeking, stumbling Bernie, who looked as if he might collapse unconscious at any second, and offered a sheepish smile.

"Sorry, he's had too much to drink. We were just watching the commotion and lost track of him for a moment."

Then, turning to Chapton behind the bar, one of them patted his chest and said loudly, "Put today's expenses on my tab, friend."

After offering a few more apologies to Xia Nan, they dragged Bernie back to his seat.

It wasn't because they had sensed Xia Nan's strength.

These experienced, low-level adventurers might betray a long-time companion for a priceless piece of equipment during a mission, but that was only because there was enough profit on the other side of the scale. Having survived mission after mission, they were certainly not the kind of fools who let their emotions dictate their actions.

A trivial matter that could be avoided with a simple gesture was not worth gaining an unknown, potentially powerful enemy for no reason. Even a fool would know how to choose. They were all in the same profession; no one knew if they would cross paths again or what state they would be in when they did.

Under these circumstances, with two companions present, Bernie naturally could not come into conflict with Xia Nan.

Of course, if one thought these men were "good people" simply because of this, they would be gravely mistaken. If a massive profit appeared that was enough to tip their moral compass, they wouldn't hesitate any faster than the blink of an eye.

The imagined conflict did not occur, and the tavern interlude came to an end.

Though Xia Nan was surprised, he didn't dwell on it. Since someone was treating him, he naturally accepted.

"One Number Three Set," he said to the tavern owner.

After eating nothing but dry rations in the forest for so many days, he could take no more. To be honest, he had even dreamed one night of returning to his previous life to feast at his favorite restaurant. Now that his mission was finally over, he had to reward himself properly.

Speaking of which, it was only because of the unusual hour that most shops on the streets were closed, leaving him no place to deal with his spoils. Otherwise, following the *Adventurer's Handbook* to visit various shops would have taken him more than half a day.

*Sizzle—*

Steam rose, and the aroma of food flooded his nostrils with every breath.

It was the usual combination: stewed meat, mushroom soup, and white bread. He used the bread to soak up the mushroom soup.

With one bite—

"Tsk."

The soft dough almost instantly melted into a milky richness in his mouth, intertwining with the sweet, savory flavor of the mushroom soup as he swallowed.

Xia Nan squinted his eyes in enjoyment.

"This is how a human is meant to live," he mused inwardly.

At the same time, the tavern owner, Chapton, placed a somewhat expensive-looking glass of liquor on the table.

"This one is on the house from the White Tit," he said, meeting Xia Nan's puzzled gaze.

"Thank you."

Having no reason to refuse, Xia Nan nodded in thanks.

The glass settled on the table, the clear liquid swaying gently. As he ate his dinner, his thoughts drifted, and his eyes grew slightly vacant.

It was already late when he returned to Valley Town. With no place to process his loot, he planned to rest at the White Tit for the night. The bandages wrapped around the "Green Pine" wooden sword on his back were a disguise, intended to prevent anyone from noticing anything suspicious. After observing for a few days, he planned to find a blacksmith to custom-make a scabbard, which would be much more convenient.

The liquor went down, leaving a spicy sting on the tip of his tongue. However, his body showed no reaction.

Xia Nan guessed it was due to his current Constitution of "8" points. Previously, the 1 point of Strength and 1 point of Agility gained from maxing out [Whirlwind Slash] had made him feel as if he had swapped bodies, causing his combat power to explode. Now, after absorbing the Dewdrop, the 3 points of Constitution that came with it provided a significant boost.

After a full day of traveling, even Wood, who had already obtained a professional level, was panting heavily by the end. Xia Nan, however, felt completely at ease, as if he had merely gone for a stroll. Although the Dewdrop had helped replenish the stamina he had spent along the way, it was enough to prove how much his endurance had improved.

On the other hand, while he didn't have the intuitive, massive health bar seen in games, the increase in Constitution was enough to allow him to withstand more damage in combat. Although he hadn't tested it yet, he was certain that he could now cast [Whirlwind Slash] multiple times in short succession without affecting his bodily functions. The predicament of his arms turning weak after a few extra swings was a thing of the past.

Thinking deeper, an increase in Constitution also meant enhanced physical resilience. If he were sent back to the Misty Forest right now and that petrified lizard rammed him from behind again...

Xia Nan suddenly shuddered, feeling a phantom pain in his back.

"I wouldn't die, but let's not try it."

(End of Chapter)